Pioneering Renewable Energy in an Economic Energy Policy System: The History and Development of Dutch Grassroots Initiatives

Abstract

Abstract:The first grassroots initiatives for renewable energy in The Netherlands were a small number of wind cooperatives that developed in the 1980s and 1990s. After a few years without developments, new initiatives started emerging after 2000, and after 2009 the movement boomed, growing from around 40 to over 360 initiatives. These initiatives form an active, large and diverse movement that uses various motivations, technologies and connections, which have changed over time. This article uses a mixed methodology, aiming to map the development of these different "waves of initiatives" and relate them to the way in which the initiatives fit with their institutional environment. Institutional changes-such as the liberalization of the energy market, changing energy policies and discourses and a policy field that became increasingly multi-actor and multi-level-have influenced the presence and activities of grassroots initiatives. The article concludes that the growth and increasing visibility of the movement can be attributed to a large institutional fit at the decentral level, but that the low priority for grassroots initiatives and the economic rationale of the national government have hindered the political influence and installed capacity of renewable energy production facilities of the initiatives.

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“…The motivation behind these initiatives was different than that of the previous wave. The authors argue that these wind turbines were built 'not out of environmental concerns but also with the purpose of generating profits for the local community' [22]. The early 2000s witnessed the third wave of GIs take off-these initiatives were much more diverse in their format (wind, solar), size and focus compared to their predecessors.…”

“…The article traces several waves of the GIs in the Netherlands. The first wave of pioneering initiatives emerged largely in protest to nuclear energy in mid-1980s and had the format of the citizens' cooperatives owning and operating wind turbines [22]. The second wave of wind cooperatives took shape in early 1990s in the Dutch Northern province of Friesland.…”

“…The early 2000s witnessed the third wave of GIs take off-these initiatives were much more diverse in their format (wind, solar), size and focus compared to their predecessors. Indeed, new initiatives had the ambition to engage in a much broader range of activities, such as 'collective purchase of privately owned solar panels and providing members with information about energy savings and production' [22]. The latest wave of GIs (2009-present) was characterized by a significant growth of their number in the Netherlands, as well as further broadening of their activities' focus.…”

“…Grassroots initiatives (GIs) for renewable energy are defined as 'local, bottom-up collaborations between citizens, motivated by the desire to supply or produce renewable energy on local scale' [22]. The article traces several waves of the GIs in the Netherlands.…”

“…The latest wave of GIs (2009-present) was characterized by a significant growth of their number in the Netherlands, as well as further broadening of their activities' focus. For example, according to the authors, 35% of the GIs engaged in collective production of heat or electricity and 50% of initiatives supplies green energy to consumers (usually via an intermediate supplier) [22].…”